We were able to reach out to four of our awesome HBriders that both won #HBSummerShare last summer Alisun Kovach, Dayna Isley, Becky Anzalone and Nicole Castillo.Thanks again ladies for sharing your experiences with us, we love our #HBFam! We had them reflect on their experience last summer with HBSummerShare:

1)What inspired you to sign up for #HBSummerShare last summer?

Becky Anzalone: I signed up #HBSummerShare last summer as a way to hold me accountable for my workout routine. I find it hard in the summer months to keep up with a consistent routine with the lure of outdoor patio drinking. I already found myself spinning a few nights a week so it made sense (as well as the cost-savings of being able to have an unlimited pass to spin classes).

Nicole Castillo:I was training for a half-marathon, and I wanted to step up my game. Spinning made a huge difference, because I am able to achieve a much harder cardio doing it than running. Also, the competition was just so fun! And pretty much I’ll do anything for free swag. 🙂

Alisun Kovach: I never participated in any kind of challenge before, I thought the #HBSummerShare sounded really fun, and seemed like a great way to prioritize working out during the summer. Plus the potential to win a free month of unlimited riding and a free shirt had me sold!

Dayna Isley: I ran my first half marathon in May last year. Running, as it turns out, is not my favorite. I needed a change, and #HBSummerShare seemed like a good challenge.

2)Describe your experience. What was the best part about #HBSummerShare last year?

Becky Anzalone:I am so glad I participated last year! One of my good friends also did it with me, so we could both motivate each other and use it as an excuse to see each other more often. I also loved having the board up on display – talk about accountability! It was also a great way to see how you were stacking up versus other riders. The competitive element was really motivating! I also really enjoyed the social media aspect and tagging my instagram pics and tweets with the #HBsummershare. It’s a great way to stay connected with other HB riders/instructors.

Nicole Castillo: It was incredible! A friend (Valerie Abeille) and I did it — she was at Fenway and I was at Southie and we could watch each others’ progress on the leaderboard. It was hard at times to stick with it because I would “fall behind” when I went on vacation. But, knowing I had a goal to reach, got me to hit spin at times when I normally would just skip it… like before I got on the airplane for a summer vacation, or early in the morning after a late night out.

Alisun Kovach: Participating in the #HBSummerShare was awesome. Since I was at the studio so much, I got to meet a lot of new people and was able to get to know the girls who work there too (love them all!). I also loved that you got points not only for going to classes, but also for posting on instagram (truth be told, I didn’t have an insta account until the challenge started, and now I can’t get enough of it). It was fun walking around and finding random things that would remind you of the HB, and therefore remind you to get your butt to class, and like I said, prioritize working out, even when all you really wanted to do was lay at the beach all day.

Dayna Isley: I had been spinning some at the Handle Bar in Southie since it opened, but #HBSummerShare really kicked things up. I learned that I could spin a lot–even in the morning!–and really love it. By the end of summer, I could even make it through both sets of arms in Elise’s hour of power Saturday classes. I felt stronger and had fun in the process.

3) Are you signed up for #HBSummerShare this summer? If so, what are you looking forward to most?

Becky Anzalone: I signed up for my second #HBsummershare for this summer and I can’t wait until it starts. I am excited to have an unlimited pass to ride all summer long and stay motivated by all the amazing riders at the Handle Bar (I have a couple friends who I plan on riding with this summer as well!). I’ve tried other spin studios over the years across the city, but the sense of community at Handle Bar, is part of what keeps me coming back. #HBSummerShare is a prime example of why I love spinning at the Handle Bar.

Nicole Castillo: I’m not… because I have the VIP membership… or I totally would! I am still going to hashtag and post. The Handlebar ladies of twitter are already in full force. I’m excited to join them. I’m at @niccastillo1017 I’m all about the social media engagement. Last year, I did a top 10 things I learned from #HBSummerShare. Let’s see what I come up with this year. 🙂

Alisun Kovach: I haven’t decided if I’m singing up yet, but I would really like to win a beach towel, so I probably will!

Dayna Isley: I signed up for #HBSummerShare again because it was so motivating and fun last year. Because I like spin, I know I’ll stick with it; and if I ever feel like slacking, the challenge will keep me motivated. It’s also a great deal when you break it down. Bring on June 1!

An Instagram posted by Becky last summer for #HBSummerShare. A great example of the hashtag social media challenge in action.

If you still aren’t convinced, we’ve put together a list of the top reasons to participate in #HBSummerShare.

Stay in Shape and Motivated all Summer long with a Steal of a Deal Each studio will track those participating in the riding competition. It’s officially bikini season, we have to keep that beach body we worked so hard to get! Can’t give up now, keep that beach body all summer long with #HBSummerShare. Ten weeks of unlimited riding for just $400 lets you stay in shape and save for those amazing summer adventures.

#HBFam + #HBCommunity Support (Forever and Always <3) Join the #HBFam this summer not only in the saddle, but whereever your summer adventures take you! Simply, by tagging #HBSummerShare in a Facebook post, Instagram or tweet, your #HBFam will be right there with you. We, also, encourage you to make some new #HBSummerShare 2015 friends and meet up both on AND off the saddle. This is strongly encouraged in any and all challenges this summer..after all…“You CAN Spin With Us” 🙂

Adjusted Summer Schedule- Just for YOU We know you’re busy, its summer, its warm…you want to be on the beach. We have tailored our weekend schedules to accommodate just that. Please take a look at your home studio’s schedules because weekend times have been added and changed for the summer effective this weekend. All the more reason to squeeze in a ride or two with your unlimited #HBSummerShare package.

Prizes (Who doesn’t like prizes?) We like prizes! If you participate in the riding competition and ride 45 times in 10 weeks…that’s just 4-5 times per week…you win a beautiful #HBSummerShare 2015 beach towel. Think of all those at the beach or pool envious of that gorgeous towel you EARNED. The top four rides will win FURTHER unlimited riding packages. If you participate in the hashtag/social media competition, you have a chance to win a prize EVERY week of the competition. Each week, our favorite hashtagged post will be announced and the winner will receive a gift from 1 of our favorite local spots. The sponsor and prize will be announced at the start of each week, and to get you started – here’s what we have for our first 4 weeks of the competition:

Competition Challenge your friends, family, neighbors, mailman, new and old HB friends and more importantly YOURSELF to ride more, ride stronger, ride proud. Share the link to this blog with anyone you want to see sitting on that saddle next to you. This is your summer, your time to shine, to kick ass, so take charge! The summer of you is waiting…so grab a #HBSummershare package and watch yourself transform in just 10 weeks. The challenge starts June 1st, so act fast.

Once the #HBSummerShare kicks off on June 1st, we’ll be following your progress riding AND sharing your Instagrams/tweets to keep you motivated and on track all summer long. Be sure to tag #HBSummerShare in your posts!

Tweet at us when and why you chose to sign up for #HBSummerShare to @The_Handle_Bar for twitter AND instagram! Doing the #HBSummerShare for the second year in a row? We want to hear from you too, share your experiences just like Alisun, Dayna, Becky and Nicole. We may just share some on and before the #HBSummerShare kickoff June 1st.

Spring is in full swing here in Boston. We are finally hitting 70 degrees, the sun is out and we are all trying to do more things outside! Spinning indoors all Fall and Winter has got us itching to cycle outdoors! It is definitely a sign of spring when those Hubway bike stations start popping up around the city (a sight for sore eyes).

I asked one of our Handle Bar instructors, Ashley Wagner to chat with us about her road cycling experience, the difference between indoor spin and road cycling. Ashley picked up road cycling right after college and made the bold decision to ride CROSS COUNTRY. Cross Country on a bike saddle, this girl must love to cycle (both indoors and out!!).

What is Road Cycling? Tell us about your experience on the road and across the country? 🙂

Road cycling is one of my favorite things to do (beside riding inside at The Handle Bar of course 😉 ). When I ride outside I like to tour. Touring means I am not racing but using the bike to ‘tour’ an area. It is one of the best ways to explore. I love it because you get a better prospective then you would in a car, but you can cover more ground then you can on foot. Also who doesn’t love being outside on a beautiful day and getting a little exercise while you are at it!

How did you get into cycling?

I actually starting spinning inside and really liked the workout I was getting on a stationary bike so the natural next step was to take it outside. I told my sister about wanting to try road cycling. Naturally, my sister who is awesome… but a little insane, immediately found this summer cycling program called Bike and Build and convinced me to sign up. In the spirt of go big or go home, having no outside cycling experience, I signed up for a 3 month long bike tour across the country (yes 0-4000miles).

I had 6 months to train, which was a god send. The hardest part surprisingly wasn’t the fitness but was feeling confident on a bike, on the road, with cars. I like many of you, hadn’t ridden a bike since I was 10 so my skills were pretty rusty. I was able to figure it out with only a few minor falls and come June was had quit my job and was ready to ride my bike every day.

Tell us about that how was the trip?

Turns being a little crazy paid off, it was the time of my life. If you have the time I would 100% recommend doing it. Obviously there were some growing pains at the beginning but I was so happy to be riding my bike, exploring, and being outside every day it didn’t really matter that my butt hurt. We Went from Portsmouth, NH to Vancouver BC. I was fortunate enough to ride alongside the Great Lakes, and over the Rocky’s thought Glacier National Park and put some serious miles on my bike. I learned a lot about my body and what it can do. I also learned a lot about cycling, which is something try to bring into my classes at The Handle Bar.

Is there a difference between a Spin Class and Road Cycling? What is harder?

Honestly, I think spinning inside is harder. This is because you are in control. I am always so impressed when I see riders turn it up one extra notch or really give themselves a challenge. When you are outside you have a hill and you have no choice, you have to get over it. Inside, it takes much more mental strength to turn up that hill and intentionally make your ride harder.

For someone that has never road cycle before: How would you recommend transitioning from indoor cycling to the road?

There are two things that are hard for people when they go from sinning to the cycling; clipping in and cars. Luckily for Handle Bar riders you already have practice clipping in, which will really go a long way. Before setting out on the street with cars and obstacles I would try clipping and unclipping a few times to be sure you know your peddles and your shoes. The other challenge is cars. They are big, fast and could squash you like a bug. This can be especially tricky in cities like Boston with few bike lanes and windy roads. When first starting out I would recommend a bike path, one of my favorites is the southwest corridor that goes through Jamaica Plan and Roxbury it is nice, and wide and off the street and a great place to get started.

What are some tips you have?

Wearing a helmet is cool. I know it is a hard struggle to especially right after I have showered but my brain is too important to be vain.

Get a rain guard, you never know when it is going to rain and having this on my bike with make you so much more comfortable.

Start with a buddy! It was great to have my sister with me. She laughed at me when I fell over at a stop light because I couldn’t unclip in time. I also had someone with me when we road 30miles in the wrong direction in Indiana and we had to hitch hike our way to the guest site for the night. It is a great sport but it can be little intimidating to get started if you have someone with you it will make it a little easier and more fun when you stop for an ice cream break!

It’s ok to fall, lets face it…it’s going to happen. You are going to feel so much better when you finally do and realize it isn’t that bad. (But be safe out there please!)

Ashley taking her own advice about falling!

You can catch Ashley teach in Southie on Fridays at 7:15am and 4:30pm OR on the roads of Boston cruising on her bike. So be sure to hop into one of her classes or tweet at her (@amwagner23) if you have more questions about road cycling! As always if you want us to dig a little deeper into anything Handle Bar related, please reach out to us!

Planning trips this summer? Concerts? Us too! Well you are in luck, we did some research (Thank you Ticketmaster!) find some of the most exciting concerts/festivals in and around Boston this summer. Feel free to click on the name of any concert you are interested in and you will be directed to the ticket page!

Feel free to check out our Handle Bar Spotify (Playlist May ’15, see below!) to listen to any of the artists (many of whom are played during your rides!). You will mostly likely catch one or maybe all HB instructors and staff at any of these concerts. Great music makes a ride, we love finding new music to help you find where the rhythm meets the road. So let this inspire you to get out there, get a ticket, find #HBinRealLife and enjoy! Hope to see you out there!

It’s that time of year again – when our diets and best efforts to stay healthy and balanced are thwarted by pumpkin spice lattes, the office candy corn jar, and soon, cookie swaps and champagne flutes. This season of indulgence proves challenging for many of us who like to keep a balanceddiet year-round. With endless friend and family gatherings, it is difficult to keep moderation in mind. Sometimes “just one cookie” turns into three or four, and before we know it, we’re in a sugar coma. It’s happened to all of us at least once, and it doesn’t help when alcohol is involved, making it easier to justify cookies two, three, and four.

Not only is it challenging enough to keep track of how many fun-size Twix and Reese’s Cups we’ve had, but it’s even harder to keep track of drinks as we hop from party to party. I personally hate wastingcalories on sugary cocktails, mixers, and mimosas, but when put in social situations where not everyone may be conscious about their personal health and food choices, it often proves impossible to say no or opt for a healthier option. That’s one of the reasons why we are so excited to have KEEL Vodka sponsoring our 2nd annual Glo-Cycle ride this Thursday!

KEEL’s “I KEEL GOOD” cocktail was featured in the October issue of Women’s Health.

KEEL Vodka is a new, premium light spirit, meaning each shot (1.5 ounces) contains 58 calories, zero carbs, and no harsh bite as compared to its higher-calorie competitors like Grey Goose, Kettle One, and Belvedere, which average about 120 calories per 1.5 ounce serving. Similar to light beer, KEEL gives you a much better caloric “bang for your buck” than its heavier counterparts. We found KEEL’s mission – helping us staybalanced – so aligned with The HB’s work hard, play hard culture that we just had to share. KEEL will be providing a post-ride “retox” after Thursday’s Glo-Cycle rides (sign up here!).

To hold you over until then, here are a few smart cocktail ideas from the folks at KEEL:

Keel + Spiced Blackberry

Muddle blackberries

Add ice

Add 3 parts KEEL vodka to 1 part ginger beer

Garnish with mint and fresh blackberry

Keel + Tangerine:

2 parts KEEL over ice

2 parts fresh squeezed tangerine juice

Top with soda water

Garnish with an orange slice

Don’t forget to followKEEL on twitter and like them on Facebook for cocktail ideas and exciting new products. From KEEL & the HB, stay balanced – we’ll see you in the saddle on Thursday!

Why is it that New Year’s resolutions always get a bad rap? Why do we end the year knowing that an empty promise looms within the first month of the New Year? It’s almost as if we are setting ourselves up for failure as soon as the ball drops. Personally, I have always been a resolution girl. I love structure, and I love a good challenge. But looking back on it, I don’t think I’ve ever made one lasting New Year’s resolution. After actually putting a little bit of thought into this phenomenon, I have realized that I, along with my fellow “resolvers,” jump into the New Year with too much of the wrong kind of gusto. We want to take on everything from losing those last ten pounds to kicking every last one of our bad habits, but by the third week of the New Year, we are totally exhausted. We cave, for one reason or another, and many times, end up worse off than we were in December. But this year could be different. This year I challenge you to rethink your resolution.

Make a smaller, more sustainable resolution that you are likely to keep for years, rather than a few short weeks. Keep in mind, your resolution doesn’t have to be—and probably shouldn’t be—an entire lifestyle change, or even something tangible. It can be simple. It can be abstract. It can be one word, or it can involve no words at all. Take a few minutes to sit down and figure out what you can add to your life to make it more fulfilling, rather than what you can remove from it (unless of course you are removing negative thinking!). Focus on process-oriented goals, rather than outcome-oriented goals.

Now, just a disclaimer – This isn’t a way for you to evade the whole resolution thing. It is a way for you to ring in 2014 on a positive note and to keep those positive vibes flowing all year long. Now, take a second and think about the resolution you had in mind—you know, the one you’ve been thinking about making ever since you overdid it with the Christmas cookies last week. Is it broad, all-encompassing, a true challenge, something you’re guilty about, or something you just know you won’t be able to sustain throughout the year? Does it have any hint of negativity? Does it involve some sort of too-good-to-be-true cookie diet or lemonade concoction? If so, consider the following resolutions instead:

Be flexible The next time something doesn’t go as you had planned, take a deep breath and assure yourself it will be okay. Because it will. Embrace the change in plans and consider that maybe, it happened for a reason.

Unplug Yup. You read that right. Shut it off—the iPhone, the tablet, the laptop, the TV, and even the Kindle. Rest your eyes. Hell, even close them and take a second to embrace this human experience you are having. Think back to when technology wasn’t so advanced and all the things you used to enjoy instead of trolling Facebook and Twitter for hours. Maybe even try to incorporate those things back into your life for just a few hours a day.

Take a risk Have something you’ve been itching to do for years but the time is just never “right”? Well, here’s the sign you’ve been waiting for. Get out there and do it, because you’ve clearly been thinking it over for quite a while.

Strive for balance You don’t need to work out every single day. You don’t need to eat clean every single day. You don’t need to work overtime every single day. Because, let’s be honest, if you did all of that, every day, don’t you think you’d burn out? (Hint: the answer is yes)

Meditate daily Many of us get weirded out when someone talks about meditation. Well, at least I did before I actually tried it. I learned that it doesn’t have to be a spiritual experience. It can be a way to relax, to help you fall asleep, or to simply get in touch with your inner-self. I promise, it really isn’t all that cheesy. If you’re not sure how to start, here are a few great meditation podcasts to help you unwind.

Swallow your pride I’m not saying to refrain from taking pride in what you love—that’s a whole different ball game. I’m talking about practicing humility. Don’t assume that you can take on everything and anything. Don’t assume you’re better than anyone else. Heck, don’t assume at all. Although society constantly forces us to compare ourselves with one another, don’t fall victim to it. We are not living according to a scale ranked from one to ten. Stop vying for that power or importance we all so desperately seek, and just be. As Mark Twain once said, “Comparison is the death of joy”. So don’t preoccupy yourself with how many likes you got on that Instagram, how many favorites you got on your last tweet, or how pretty you think you [don’t] look in your NYE pics. It. Does. Not. Matter.

Practice gratitude Say thank you. To yourself, your mother, your brother, and even your cat. Everyone serves some purpose in your life. Even if you can’t figure out just what that purpose is, thank them for their mere presence. But most of all, be grateful for yourself. You are healthy. You are living, You are breathing. Give thanks.

Floss your teeth Your dentist has been on your case for years. Just do it. Successfully incorporating a small habit like this into your daily routine will help you add more significant (yet manageable) habits to your life when the time comes.

Forget the number on the scaleIt does not define you. It is not a price tag for your self worth. It isn’t even an entirely accurate depiction of your health. Please, this year, don’t make your resolution a number—especially one that no one ever has to know.

Pay it forwardEver get a surge of happiness, kindness, or a random burst of positive energy? Next time, pass that positive energy on to somebody else with a random act of kindness or gratitude so that he or she may pass it on to someone else in need. Maybe just sharing this post with a loved one could be your way of paying it forward.

Of course, New Year’s resolutions mean different things to different people. It is up to you to figure out how you will begin this New Year. You decide. Will you #RethinkYourResolution? Will you #ResolveToRaiseTheBar?